Pursuant to the provisions of
Chapter 150E of the General Laws of Massachusetts,

this contract is made 10th
day of September, 2013,by the
SCHOOL COMMITTEE OF THE TOWN OF BELCHERTOWN (hereinafter sometimes referred to
as the Committee) and the

BELCHERTOWN TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION
(hereinafter sometimes referred to as the

Association).

PREAMBLE

This
Agreement entered into by the School Committee of the Town of Belchertown

(herein sometimes referred to as the
Committee)and the Belchertown Teachers'
Association (herein sometimes referred to as the Association), has as its
purpose the promotion of harmonious relations between the Committee and the
Association; the establishment of an equitable and peaceful procedure for the
resolution of differences; and the establishment of rates of pay, hours of
work, and other conditions of employment.

ARTICLE 1

RECOGNITION

1.01For the purposes of collective
bargaining with respect to wages, hours, and other conditions of employment,
the negotiation of collective bargaining agreements, and any questions arising
thereunder, the Committee recognizes the Association as the exclusive
bargaining agent and representative of all professional employees (except the
Associate Superintendent, supervising Principals, the full-time Assistant
Principals, Director of Guidance, Assistant Director of Guidance, and Director
of Special Education and Pupil Personnel Services as such employees are defined
in Section 1 of Chapter 105E of the General Laws of Massachusetts) of the
Committee, excepting, however, every such employee who on the effective date of
this contract is, or thereafter shall be, designated by the Committee as a
representative of it for the purposes of such bargaining.Nurses without a bachelors degree will
continue to have a separate salary schedule.

ARTICLE 2

GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE

2.01Definition
-Any claim by the Association or a
teacher that there is or has been a violation, misinterpretation, or
misapplication of the terms of this contract or violation of the Rules and
Regulations of the School Committee which involves the conditions of employment
of an employee.

2.02Time
Limits -All time limits herein
shall consist of working days when schools are insession except that when a grievance is
submitted on or after June first, time limits shall consist of all week days so
that a matter may be resolved before the close of the school year or as soon as
possible thereafter.The teacher or teachers
aggrieved shall present the grievance within fifteen (15) days of the
occurrence or within fifteen (15) days of the date of knowledge of the
occurrence which gives rise to the grievance.

2.03Association
Representation -Upon selection and
certification by the Association, the School Committee shall recognize the
Associations Professional Rights and Responsibilities (PR&R)
Committee.The PR&R Committee shall
consist of seven (7)members.A list of the members of that committee will
be presented to the Central Office within the first three weeks of the start of
the academic year.At least one
representative of the Association's Professional Rights and Responsibilities
Committee and/or the President shall be present for any meetings, hearings, appeals,
or other proceedings relating to a grievance which has been formally presented.
Nothing herein contained will be
construed as limiting the right of any teacher having a grievance to discuss
the matter informally with his/her supervisor, and having the grievance
adjusted without intervention of the Association, provided the adjustment is
not inconsistent with the terms of this contract, and further, that no teacher
shall be required to discuss any grievance except in the meetings provided
below and where his/her representative is present.

2.04Procedures
-The parties acknowledge that it is
usually most desirable for an employee and his/her supervisor to resolve
problems through informal communications.When requested by either party, the grievance representative may assist
in this resolution.However, should such
informal discussions fail to satisfy the supervisor and the teacher, then a
grievance may be processed at Step 1.

Step
1Within five (5) workingdays of the informal discussion with
his/her Principal, the employee may present the grievance in writing to the
Principalwho willarrange a
meeting within five (5) workingdays.A representative of the AssociationProfessional Rights and Responsibilities Committee, the Principal, and
the aggrieved teacher shall be present for the meeting.The Principal must provide the aggrieved
teacher and the Association with a written answer to the grievance within five
(5) workingdays.

Step 2If the grievance is not resolved at Step 1, the aggrieved
employee may, within five (5) working days, appeal in writing to the
Superintendent, who shall have five (5) working days to hold a meeting and five
(5) working days to reply in writing.

Step 3If the grievance is not resolved at Step
2, the aggrieved may within five (5) workingdays, appeal in writing
to the School Committee or its designated representative and such writing shall
set forth specifically the act or condition on which the grievance was based in
Step 1 and the grounds upon which the appeal is based.The School Committee and/or its
representative shall meet with the teacher, a representative of the Association
Professional Rights and Responsibilities Committee within ten (10) workingdays
of the receipt by the School Committee of such appeal and shall give its decision
in writing to the teacher and the Association within ten (10) workingdays
of such meeting.

2.05Arbitration -If the grievance is not satisfactorily
resolved at Step 3, the Association may invoke arbitration by filing with the
Superintendent a written demand for arbitration setting forth the nature of the
dispute, the controlling contract provisions, and the remedy sought.The AAA Demand for Arbitration form may be
used for this purpose.Within ten (10)
days the parties shall mutually select an arbitrator; if the parties are unable
to agree, the Association shall submit its demand to the American Arbitration
Association for selection of an arbitrator in accordance with its rules.The written demand to the Superintendent must
be received not later than thirty (30) days following receipt of the written
decision at Step 3.In the event that
the grievance is not submitted for arbitration within the said period of thirty
(30) days, the grievance shall be deemed withdrawn.The arbitrator shall hold hearings promptly
and, unless the time shall be extended by mutual agreement, shall issue his
award not later than thirty (30) days from the date of closing of the hearings
or, if oral hearings have been waived, from the date of submission to him of the
final

statement and briefs. The
arbitrator's award shall be in writing and shall set forth his findings

of fact, reasoning and conclusions on
the issues submitted.The arbitrator
shall have no

power or authority to make any award
which requires the commission of act prohibited by

law or which is inconsistent with the
provisions of the contract.The decision
of the arbitrator

shall be binding upon the School
Committee, the Association, and the aggrieved teacher

during the life of this
contract.The arbitrator shall have
only the power to interpret what the

parties to the agreement intended
by the specific clause in the agreement which is at issue.

Each party shall bear the full costs
for its representation in the arbitration. Fees and expenses

of the arbitrator shall be shared
equally by the School Committee and the Association.

2.06General
Provisions

A.All written communications,
documents, and records relating to any

grievance
will be filed separately from the personnel files of the

applicants.

B.Conferences with teachers necessary for
processing grievances shall be

scheduled
so that they do not interfere with the duties and responsibilities of the teachers.

ARTICLE 3

MANAGEMENT RIGHTS

3.01The parties agree that the operation of
the School Department of the Town of Belchertown, the supervision of its
employees and of their work are the rights of the Committee alone acting
through its Superintendent.Accordingly,
subject to the express, specific provisions of this Agreement, the following
rights are reserved to management:the
making of reasonable rules to assure orderly and effective work schedules; the
determination of what and where duties will be performed; the determination of
employee competency; the hiring, transfer, promotion, and layoff of employees;
the discharge, demotion, or other discipline of employees for just cause
without discrimination and in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts; and the right to inform employees concerning employment matters.

As to every matter not expressly
covered by this Agreement and except as expressly or directly modified by clear
language in a specific provision of this Agreement, the Committee retains
exclusively to itself all rights and powers that it has or may hereafter be
granted by law and shall exercise the same without such exercise being made the
subject of grievance or arbitration.

ARTICLE 4

ASSOCIATION PRIVILEGES

4.01Before
the opening of and after the close of school and during lunch time on school
days, the Association shall have the right to use designated areas in school
buildings for meetings of teachers in school buildings for meetings of teachers
provided there is no interference with any scheduled school activities.The use of such designated areas shall be
arranged with the principal in advance.All requests for building use shall conform to School Committee Rules
and Regulations provided, however, that there shall be no cost to the Association
for such meetings so long as no overtime, custodial cost to the School
Committee is involved.

4.02The
Association may distribute materials dealing with proper and legitimate business of the Association through teachers'
mailboxes.

4.03The
Association shall be provided a bulletin board at least nine (9) square feet
for the purpose of posting materials dealing with the proper and legitimate
business of the Association.Such space
shall be provided in each school for the unrestricted use of the Association.Such boards shall be placed in a well-lighted
area and identified with the name of the Association.

4.04The
Superintendent or his/her designee shall comply with any reasonable request by
the Association for available information, excluding confidential personnel
records, which is in the possession of the Superintendent or his/her designee
and which is relevant to the processing of any grievance by the Association of
any condition of employment.

4.05Any teacher covered by this contract and elected
president of the National Educational Association, president of its Department
of Classroom Teachers or president of the Massachusetts Teachers' Association
shall, upon written request of the Superintendentby

the teacher and the Association, be granted an unpaid leave of absence
not to exceed two (2)

years in duration for the purpose of discharging the duties of such
office.An unpaid leave of

absence shall be granted for every school year to one (1) teacher for the
purpose ofproviding

full-time assistance to the Association in discharging its duties as the
exclusive collective

bargaining representative of the
teachers covered by this contract.All
time spent on every such leave shall be counted as time in the employ of the
Belchertown Public Schools for all purposes provided, however, that no
additional sick leave shall be accumulated during said leave.Upon his/her return, the teacher shall be
assigned to the same position which he/she held at the time said leave
commenced, if available, or if not, to a substantially equivalent position.

4.06No
teacher shall engage in any Association activities during the time he/she is
assigned to

teaching duties.

4.07Names
and addresses of newly hired teachers shall be provided to the Association following
their appointment by the Superintendent.

4.08The President of the Association will be relieved of all
non-teaching duties.Seven days

per year may be used by the President or her/his designee to conduct
Association business.

These days may be used in minimum of halfdays.This language
establishes no precedent as to

the parties interpretation ofnon-teaching
duties or any other provision of the contract.

4.09Agency Fee:The Committee agrees to require, during the
term of this Agreement, as a condition of continued employment, that every
employee covered by this Agreement, except those employees who are certified to
the Committee by the Association, as of the thirtieth (30th) day of
such employment or the thirtieth (30th) day after the effective date
of this Agreement provision, whichever is later, pay to the Belchertown
Teachers Association an agency service fee or authorize in accordance with
G.L., C 150E, Section 12, the payroll deduction in equal installments of an
agency service fee which shall be commensurate with the cost of collective
bargaining and contract administration as determined by the Association but in
no instance greater than the annual dues of the Association and which amount
shall be certified annually to the Committee by the Association.The Committee further agrees to certify to
the municipal treasurer the amount of such agency service fee and the employee
authorization of the deduction of same in accordance with G.L., C 180, Section
17G.It is specifically understood and
agreed that the Town of Belchertown, the Belchertown School Committee, and its
Officers and Agents shall be saved harmless for such deductions under those
circumstances as provided by General Laws, Chapter 180, Section 17G. For the
purpose of this clause, the term harmless is defined as: any monies once
transmitted by the Town of Belchertown, the Belchertown School Committee, and
its Officer and Agents, to the Belchertown Teachers Association; the Town of
Belchertown, the Belchertown SchoolCommittee
and its Officers and Agents are no longer responsible for same.

ARTICLE 5

NO STRIKE

5.01It is
agreed by the parties that during the term of this Agreement or any renewal
thereof, there shall be no strike, lockouts, stoppages of work, or slowdowns.

ARTICLE 6

NON-DISCRIMINATION

6.01In
accordance with applicable Federal and State laws, the Committee and the
Association agree not to discriminate against any employee covered by this
Agreement on the basis of age, sex, gender identity, race, religion, color,
creed, sexual orientation, physical disability, or national origin.

6.02The
Committee further agrees that it will not discriminate against any employee for
Association membership or Association activity or for adhering to any lawful
provision of this Agreement.

6.03The Association agrees that it will
fairly represent all persons covered by thisAgreement in matters related to the contract.

ARTICLE 7

GENERAL PROVISIONS

7.01Except
as this contract shall hereinafter otherwise provide, all conditions of
employment applicable on the effective date of this contract to employees
covered by this contract, shall continue to be so applicable during the life of
this contract.

7.02This
contract constitutes School Committee Policy for the term of said contract, and
the School Committee shall carry out the commitments contained herein and give
them full force and effect as School Committee Policy.The School Committee shall amend its regulations
and take such other actions as may be necessary in order to give full force and
effect to the provisions of this contract.

7.03Nothing
in this Agreement shall preclude the parties from negotiating with respect to
matters not covered by this Agreement.Any changes mutually agreed upon shall be reduced to writing.

ARTICLE 8

CONDITIONS OF
EMPLOYMENT

8.01Each
teacher shall have a desk, achair, and
a space (e.g. closet, file cabinet, desk with lock and key) in which he/she may
safely store instructional materials and supplies and which he/she may use
exclusively.

8.02All
official bulletins shall be given by the principal to teachers upon their request.

8.03Acceptance of a teacher trainee shall
be voluntary.Advance notice of the assignments
of a trainee will be provided.The
trainee's duties shall be determined cooperatively by the critic teacher, the
principal, and the trainee's college.No
teacher shall accept more than one teacher trainee per school year.

8.04Teachers shall be assigned the
responsibility of bus duty (AM and PM) and corridor duty under the following
conditions:

B.The maximum number of teachers to be
assigned shall be five (5) at CSS, ten
(10) each at SRE and CHCS, and two (2)
each at JBMS and BHS.

8.05Lunch duty will be strictly voluntary for
teachers.

8.06At those times when substitutes are not
available or become unavailable, a regular teacher who serves as a substitute
during his/her normal preparation period will be paid twenty-five dollars ($25.00)for each regular class period and thirty-five ($35) if the class extends
beyond a regular class period.In
determining who covers the class, reasonable efforts will be made to find a
volunteer.If no volunteer is available
and the class requires immediate coverage, a teacher may be assigned.

8.07Teachers shall be allowed to leave the
buildings during their preparation time as long as permission is obtained from
the Principal or his/her designee.

8.08Specific
to High School

1.High school teachers will teach five
(5) periods and have one (1) preparation period
daily when scheduling permits.In no
case will schedules provide for less than
five (5) preparation periods per week.High school teachers may be assigned supervision
of classroom-size or smaller student study activities (such as: language labs, computer labs,
science labs, and extra help if requested by a student).No such assignment shall be made during preparation periods or duty free lunch periods as guaranteed
herein.A teacher may voluntarily assume
responsibility for teaching a sixth (6th)
classroom course.High school teachers will have a duty-free lunch period each day of
at least twenty (20) minutes.

2.Teachers shall be assigned office
detention under the following conditions:

a.Office detention shall conclude no more
than one (1) hour after dismissal of students.

b.Such assignments shall be rotated
equitably among all teachers on an annual basis.In this regard, scheduling of such
assignments shall be at such times as to avoid a conflict with other
responsibilities, e.g. coaching.

c.Teachers may swap assignments to
accommodate unforeseen personal or professional needs.

3.The chair of the High School Guidance
Department shall work an additional five (5)
days before the beginning of the school year, five (5) days after the end of
the school year, and ten (10) other days
to be chosen by mutual agreement between the
chair and the principal.The chair shall
be paid per diem for the twenty (20) days
based on his/her salary.

4.All faculty members maintain discipline
within the halls during all passing periods
and will check appropriate lavatories.

8.09Specific
to Middle School:

A.Preparation
Periods

The School
Committee shall grant five (5) preparation periods per week at the Middle
School, subject to the following understanding: It is understood and agreed
that preparation periods may involve and be used for individual preparation by
teachers, meetings with parents and students, attendance at CORE/Team meetings,
grade level meetings (middle school), and the like.It is understood that CORE/Team meetings
shall not be routinely or regularly scheduled during a teachers preparation
period.It is also understood that team
teachers will have one (1) additional preparation period per week where they
will meet together as a team.Middle
school teachers will have a duty-free lunch period each day of at least twenty
(20) minutes.

B.Hall Duty

All faculty members
maintain discipline within the halls during all passing periods and will check
appropriate lavatories.

C.There
is an approximate twenty-two (22) minute period after lunch that is

designed as a short
recess before returning to class.Grade level
teams 6-8 will provide two (2) teachers, including a specialist when scheduling
permits, on an equitable rotating basis, to work with the paraprofessionals
during this period for indoor recess when the principal deems it necessary.

D.Teachers shall be assigned office
detention under the following conditions:

1.Office detention shall conclude no more
than one (1) hour after the dismissal
of students.

2.Such assignments shall be rotated
equitably among all teachers n an annual basis.In this regard, scheduling of such assignments shall be at such times as
to avoid a conflict with other responsibilities (e.g., coaching).

3.Teachers may swap assignments to
accommodate unforeseen personal or professional
needs.

8.10Specific
to Primary/Elementary Schools

A.A
reasonable effort will be made to hire substitutes for art, music, and physical
education at the primary/elementary level.

B.Primary/elementary teachers will have a
duty-free lunch period of at least twenty (20)
minutes, plus an additional twenty-nine (29) minutes a day of guaranteed preparation time.

C.In addition, primary/elementary teachers
will have four (4) preparation periods per week
when classes are covered by art, music, or physical education specialists, except in emergency situations.

8.11The
School Committee and the Association agree that a teacher's primary function is
to teach!Therefore:

A.To the extent possible, every
effort will be made to limit class interruptions.

B.The principal shall decide
whether and when pupils may be released or taken from class to provide special
approved instruction, or to engage in athletic contests, extracurricular activities
and the like.

C.Teachers shall not be required
to assume any office duties in the event of absence of office personnel.

ARTICLE 9

WORK DAY/WORK YEAR

9.01The
work year for teachers shall consist of one hundred eighty (180) days that
students are required to be in school plus one (1) day before the opening of
school in September and two (2) Professional Days which will be scheduled
during the school year and which teachers are required to attend.

Student
Days:180

New
Teacher Days:184

Current
Teacher Days:183

9.02The one
hundred eighty (180) student days will be full days except the last day, which
shall be a half day for students.Teachers will use the rest of that day to close out for the year.

9.03
The
workday for teachers will be seven (7) hours in length, from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30
p.m. for the high school and middle school, and 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for Cold
Spring, Chestnut Hill and Swift River Elementary.Teachers may leave after the completion of
their duties following student dismissal on Fridays and all days immediately
preceding a holiday.Variations to the
starting and ending time may occur for individual teachers upon agreement
between the Principal and the Association President, as long as the total work
day continues to consist of seven (7) hours.

9.04Guidance counselors shall work an additional
ten (10) days, five (5) days before the beginning of the school year and five
(5) days after the end of the school year.Counselors shall be paid per diem for the ten (10) days based on his/her
salary.

9.05A.Teachers
will be required to attend fifteen (15) after school meetings.These meetings may be used for curriculum
implementation/review, professional development, and faculty meetings.Such a reduction will not prevent school principals from scheduling voluntary after schoolfaculty meetings, in addition to required faculty meetings, for
which faculty shall be responsible for all information presented.Principals shall disseminate informationpresented at voluntary
faculty meetings in written form.The meetings for high school and middle school teachers shall not extend beyond 4 P.M. and, for primary and elementary school teachers, not beyond
5 P.M.Teachers who are enrolled
in post graduate courses for credits
which are compensatory under the
teachers salary schedule shall be excused from attend­ance at after
school teachers meetings held at the
same time, provided that; (1)
they give notice to the principal of
the course, day and time, and
(2) they en­deavor to ascertain from the principal all essential
information conveyed at the
teachers meetings.No teacher shall be
required to attend a teachers meeting on a day which falls within a customary vacation period.

B.Teachers
will be required to attend three (3) evening meetings per year as follows:

High
School:Two (2) events to meet
the public and one (1) chaperone activity as approved by the principal.

Middle
School:Two (2) events to meet the public
and one (1) chaperone activity as approved by the principal.

Primary
/Elementary:One (1) Open House
and two (2) parent conference nights, plus additional evening or after-school
meetings for parent conferences if the teacher (a) has elected to receive the
substitutes payin lieu of using a
substitute to provide coverage to permit one day of parent conferences during
the regular school day and (b) has demonstrated that she/he can fulfill the
need for parent conferences without using the substitute for class coverage.

ARTICLE 10

TEACHER TRANSFERS AND ASSIGNMENTS

10.01Assignment

A.Not later than the close of school, each
teacher shall be notified in writing of any
changes in the subject area of his/her program for the ensuing year,
includingthe school to which he/she
will be assigned, the grades and/or the subjects that he/she will teach, and
any special or unusual classes or assignments that he/she will have, provided
that in the event of a change in circumstances or conditions during the months
of May through September (e.g., death, resignation, leave of absence,
unanticipated change in enrollment), such assignments may be changed as required
to meet the situation.The teacher
affected shall be sent immediate notice when the change is made.

10.02Transfers
or Reassignments - Teachers who
desire a change in grade and/or subject assignment or who desire to transfer to
another building shall file awritten
statement of such desire with the office of the Superintendent not later than
March 1.Such statement shall include
the grade and/or the subject to which the teacher desires to be assigned and/or
the school or schools (in order of preference, if the teacher has preferences)
to which he/she desires to be transferred.

10.02.1
When necessary, teachers may be reassigned within a school by the
principal, subject to review and approval by the Superintendent.Additionally, when necessary, teachers may be
transferred between schools by the Superintendent to a comparable position for
which that teacher is licensed and qualified.

Such
reassignment or transfer will be made only after a meeting between the teacher
and the Superintendent or designee, at which time the teacher will be notified
of the reasons for the transfer.

In
the event that a teacher objects to the reassignment or transfer at this
meeting, upon the written request of the teacher, the Association will be
notified and the Superintendent will meet with the Associations
representatives to discuss the transfer; provided, however, that the transfer
will be subject to the grievance procedure but the decision of the Committee
will be final, except for bad faith.

10.03Posting of Vacancies

A.On or before September 15 of each school
year, the administration shall post a

list
of known vacancies (assignment and location).

B.On or before May 1 the administration
will post all known vacancies.Whenever
possible, vacancies will be filled before the close of the school year.

C.Whenever a vacancy in a professional
position occurs during the school year (September to June), it will be
publicized by the Superintendent by means of a notice placed on the Association
bulletin board in every school at least two (2) weeks before the position is
to be filled.

D.The name of the person appointed will
be posted in each faculty room within five (5) school days of the appointment. Appointments will be made without regard to race,
creed, color, religion, nationality, gender, age, sexual preference, or marital
status.

ARTICLE 11

REDUCTION IN FORCE

11.01In the event it becomes necessary to reduce
the number of employees in the bargaining unit as defined in the Agreement, the
Employer will determine retainment by certification and seniority.If those two categories are equal, then the teachers
evaluations will be the determining factor.

11.02Recall -Teachers who have been laid off according to
the above shall be entitled to recall rights for a period of time equal to
their seniority but not to exceed two (2) years from the effective dates of
their respective layoffs.Recall rights
will be determined based on guidelines already established in this article and
a laid off person will be recalled to a position similar to the one he/she
formerly held.

11.03A
list specifying the seniority of each member of the bargaining unit shall be
prepared by the Committee and forwarded to the President of the Association
within thirty (30) calendar day following the execution of this Agreement.An updatedSeniority List shall be supplied by the Committee no later than November
1 annually thereafter.

ARTICLE 12

EMPLOYEE EVALUATION

12.01Purpose of Educator Evaluation

A.This contract language is locally negotiated and based
on M.G.L., c.71, § 38; M.G.L. c.150E; the Educator Evaluation regulations, 603
CMR 35.00 et seq.; and the Model System for Educator Evaluation developed and
which may be updated from time to time by the Department of Elementary and
Secondary Education. See 603 CMR 35.02 (definition of model system).In the event of a conflict between this
collective bargaining agreement and the governing laws and regulations, the
laws and regulations will prevail.

ii.To provide a record of facts and assessments for
personnel decisions, 35.01(2)(b);

iii.To ensure that every school committee has a system to
enhance the professionalism and accountability of teachers that will enable
them to assist all students to perform at high levels, 35.01(3); and

A.*Artifacts of Professional Practice: Products of an
Educators work and student work samples that demonstrate the Educators
knowledge and skills with respect to specific performance standards.

B.Caseload Educator:Educators who teach or counsel individual or small groups of students
through consultation with the regular classroom teacher, for example, school
nurses, guidance counselors, speech and language pathologists, and some reading
specialists and special education teachers.

C.Classroom teacher:Educators who teach preK-12 whole classes, and teachers of special
subjects as such as art, music, library, and physical education. May also
include special education teachers and reading specialists who teach whole
classes.

D.Categories of Evidence: Multiple measures of student
learning, growth, and achievement, judgments based on observations and
artifacts of professional practice, including unannounced observations of
practice; and additional evidence relevant to one or more Standards of
Effective Teaching Practice (603 CMR 35.03).

E.*District-determined Measures: Measures of student
learning, growth and achievement related to the Massachusetts Curriculum
Frameworks, Massachusetts Vocational Technical Education Frameworks, or other
relevant frameworks, that are comparable across grade or subject level
district-wide. These measures may include, but shall not be limited to:
portfolios, approved commercial assessments, and district-developed pre and
post unit and course assessments, and capstone projects.

F.*Educator(s): Inclusive term that applies to all
classroom teachers and caseload educators, unless otherwise noted.

G.*Educator Plan: The growth or improvement actions
identified as part of each Educators evaluation. The type of plan is
determined by the Educators career stage, overall performance rating, and the
rating of impact on student learning, growth and achievement. There shall be
four types of Educator Plans:

i.Developing Educator Plan shall mean a plan developed by
the Educator and the Evaluator for one school year or less for an Educator
without Professional Teacher Status (PTS); or, at the discretion of an
Evaluator, for an Educator with PTS in a new assignment.

ii.Self-Directed Growth Plan shall mean a plan developed
by the Educator for one or two school years for Educators with PTS who are
rated proficient or exemplary.

iii.Directed Growth Plan shall mean a plan developed by the
Educator and the Evaluator of one school year or less for Educators with PTS
who are rated needs improvement.

iv.Improvement Plan shall mean a plan developed by the Evaluator
of at least 30 school days and no more than one school year for Educators with
PTS who are rated unsatisfactory with goals specific to improving the
Educators unsatisfactory performance. In those cases where an Educator is
rated unsatisfactory near the close of a school year, the plan may include
activities during the summer preceding the next school year that will be
compensated per Article 16, section 16.03 of the contract.

I.*Evaluation:The
ongoing process of defining goals and identifying, gathering, and using
information as part of a process to improve professional performance (the
formative evaluation and formative assessment) and to assess total job
effectiveness and make personnel decisions (the summative evaluation).

J.*Evaluator: Any person designated by a superintendent
who has primary or supervisory responsibility for observation and evaluation.
The superintendent is responsible for ensuring that all Evaluators have
training in the principles of supervision and evaluation. Each Educator will
have one primary Evaluator at any one time responsible for determining
performance ratings.

i.Primary Evaluator shall be the person who determines
the Educators performance ratings and evaluation.

ii.Supervising Evaluator shall be the person responsible
for developing the Educator Plan, supervising the Educators progress through
formative assessments, evaluating the Educators progress toward attaining the
Educator Plan goals, and making recommendations about the evaluation ratings to
the primary Evaluator at the end of the Educator Plan. The Supervising
Evaluator may be the primary Evaluator or his/her designee.

iii.Teaching Staff Assigned to More Than One Building: Each
Educator who is assigned to more than one building will be evaluated by the
appropriate administrator where the individual is assigned most of the time.
The principal of each building in which the Educator serves must review and
sign the evaluation, and may add written comments.In cases where there is no predominate
assignment, the superintendent will determine who the primary evaluator will
be.

iv.Notification:The Educator shall be notified in writing of his/her primary Evaluator
and supervising Evaluator, if any, at the outset of each new evaluation
cycle.The Evaluator(s) may be changed
upon notification in writing to the Educator.

N.*Formative Assessment: The process used to assess
progress towards attaining goals set forth in Educator plans, performance on
standards, or both. This process may take place at any time(s) during the cycle
of evaluation, but typically takes place at mid-cycle.

O.*Formative Evaluation: An evaluation conducted at the
end of Year 1 for an Educator on a 2-year Self-Directed Growth plan which is
used to arrive at a rating on progress towards attaining the goals set forth in
the Educator Plan, performance on Standards and Indicators of Effective
Teaching Practice, or both.

P.*Goal: A specific, actionable, and measurable area of
improvement as set forth in an Educators plan. A goal may pertain to any or
all of the following: Educator practice in relation to Performance Standards,
Educator practice in relation to indicators, or specified improvement in
student learning, growth and achievement. Goals may be developed by individual
Educators, by the Evaluator, or by teams, departments, or groups of Educators
who have the same role.

Q.*Measurable: That which can be classified or estimated
in relation to a scale, rubric, or standards.

R.Multiple Measures of Student Learning: Measures must
include a combination of classroom, school and district assessments, student
growth percentiles on state assessments, if state assessments are available,
and student MEPA gain scores.This
definition may be revised as required by regulations or agreement of the
parties upon issuance of DESE guidance expected by July 2012.

S.*Observation:A
data gathering process that includes notes and judgments made during one or
more classroom or worksite visits(s) of at least 15 minutes by the Evaluator
and may include examination of artifacts of practice including student work.
Classroom or worksite observations conducted pursuant to this article must
result in feedback to the Educator.Normal supervisory responsibilities of department, building and district
administrators will also cause administrators to drop in on classes and other
activities in the worksite at various times as deemed necessary by the
administrator.Carrying out these
supervisory responsibilities, when they do not result in targeted and
constructive feedback to the Educator, are not observations as defined in this
Article.

T.Parties: The parties to this agreement are the
Belchertown School Committee and the Belchertown Teachers Association.

U.*Performance Rating: Describes the Educators
performance on each performance standard and overall.There shall be four performance ratings:

·Exemplary:
the Educators performance consistently and significantly exceeds the
requirements of a standard or overall.The rating of exemplary on a standard indicates that practice
significantly exceeds proficient and could serve as a model of practice on that
standard district-wide.

·Proficient:
the Educators performance fully and consistently meets the requirements of a
standard or overall.Proficient practice
is understood to be fully satisfactory.

·Needs
Improvement: the Educators performance on a standard or overall is below the
requirements of a standard or overall, but is not considered to be
unsatisfactory at this time. Improvement is necessary and expected.

·Unsatisfactory:
the Educators performance on a standard or overall has not significantly
improved following a rating of needs improvement, or the Educators performance
is consistently below the requirements of a standard or overall and is
considered inadequate, or both.

V.*Performance Standards: Locally developed standards and
indicators pursuant to M.G.L. c. 71, § 38 and consistent with, and supplemental
to 603 CMR 35.00. The parties may agree to limit standards and indicators to
those set forth in 603 CMR 35.03.

X.Rating of Educator Impact on Student Learning: A rating
of high, moderate or low based on trends and patterns on state assessments and
district-determined measures.The
parties will negotiate the process for using state and district-determined
measures to arrive at an Educators rating of impact on student learning,
growth and achievement, using guidance and model contract language from DESE,
expected by July 2012.

Y.Rating of Overall Educator Performance:The Educators overall performance rating is
based on the Evaluatorsprofessional
judgment and examination of evidence of the Educators performance against the
four Performance Standards and the Educators attainment of goals set forth in
the Educator Plan, as follows:

i.Standard 1:Curriculum, Planning and Assessment

ii.Standard 2:Teaching All Students

iii.Standard 3:Family and Community Engagement

iv.Standard 4:Professional Culture

v.Attainment of Professional Practice Goal(s)

vi.Attainment of Student Learning Goal(s)

Z.*Rubric:A
scoring tool that describes characteristics of practice or artifacts at
different levels of performance.The
rubrics for Standards and Indicators of Effective Teaching Practice are used to
rate Educators on Performance Standards, these rubrics consist of:

i.Standards:Describes broad categories of professional practice, including those
required in 603 CMR 35.03

ii.Indicators:Describes aspects of each standard, including those required in 603 CMR
35.03

iii.Elements:Defines the individual components under each indicator

iv.Descriptors:Describes practice at four levels of performance for each element

AA.*Summative Evaluation: An evaluation used to arrive at
a rating on each standard, an overall rating, and as a basis to make personnel
decisions.The summative evaluation
includes the Evaluators judgments of the Educators performance against
Performance Standards and the Educators attainment of goals set forth in the
Educators Plan.

BB.*Superintendent: The person employed by the school
committee pursuant to M.G.L. c. 71 §59 and §59A. The superintendent is
responsible for the implementation of 603 CMR 35.00.

CC.*Teacher: An Educator employed in a position requiring
a certificate or license as described in 603 CMR 7.04(3)(a, b, and d) and in
the area of vocational education as provided in 603 CMR 4.00. Teachers may
include, for example, classroom teachers, librarians, guidance counselors, or
school nurses.

DD.*Trends in student learning: At least two years of data
from the district-determined measures and state assessments used in determining
the Educators rating on impact on student learning as high, moderate or low.

12.03Evidence Used in Evaluation
The following categories of evidence shall be used in evaluating each Educator:

i.Measures of student progress on classroom assessments
that are aligned with the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks or other relevant
frameworks and are comparable within grades or subjects in a school;

ii.At least two district-determined measures of student
learning related to the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks or the
Massachusetts Vocational Technical Education Frameworks or other relevant
frameworks that are comparable across grades and/or subjects district-wide.These measures may include:portfolios, approved commercial assessments
and district-developed pre and post unit and course assessments, and capstone
projects.One such measure shall be the
MCAS Student Growth Percentile (SGP) or Massachusetts English Proficiency
Assessment gain scores, if applicable, in which case at least two years of data
is required.

iii.Measures of student progress and/or achievement toward
student learning goals set between the Educator and Evaluator for the school
year or some other period of time established in the Educator Plan.

iv.For Educators whose primary role is not as a classroom
teacher, the appropriate measures of the Educators contribution to student
learning, growth, and achievement set by the district. The measures set by the
district should be based on the Educators role and responsibility.

B.Judgments based on observations and artifacts of
practice including:

i.Unannounced observations of practice of at least 15
minutes.

ii.Announced observation(s) for non-PTS Educators in their
first year of practice in a school, Educators on Improvement Plans, and as
determined by the Evaluator.

iii.Examination of Educator work products.

iv.Examination of student work samples.

C.Evidence relevant to one or more Performance Standards,
including but not limited to:

i.Evidence compiled and presented by the Educator,
including :

a.Evidence of fulfillment of professional
responsibilities and growth such as self-assessments, peer collaboration,
professional development linked to goals in the Educator plans, contributions
to the school community and professional culture;

b.Evidence of active outreach to and engagement with
families;

i.Evidence of progress towards professional practice
goal(s);

ii.Evidence of progress toward student learning outcomes
goal(s).

iii.Student Feedback  see # 23, below; and

iv.Any other relevant evidence from any identified source
that the Evaluator shares with the Educator.Other relevant evidence could include information provided by other
administrators such as the superintendent.

12.04Rubric

The rubrics are a scoring tool used
for the Educators self-assessment, the formative assessment, the formative
evaluation and the summative evaluation.The districts may use either the rubrics provided by DESE or comparably
rigorous and comprehensive rubrics developed or adopted by the district and
reviewed by DESE.

12.05Evaluation
Cycle:Training

A.Prior to the implementation of the new evaluation
process contained in this article, the districts shall arrange training
for all Educators, principals, and other evaluators that outlines the
components of the new evaluation process and provides an explanation of the
evaluation cycle. The district through the superintendent shall determine the
type of training based on guidance provided by DESE and feedback from district
educators.

B.By November 1st of the first year of this
agreement, all Educators shall complete a professional learning activity about
self-assessment and goal-setting satisfactory to the superintendent or
principal.Any Educator hired after the
November 1st date, and who has not previously completed such an
activity, shall complete such a professional learning activity about
self-assessment and goal-setting within three months of the date of hire. The
district through the superintendent shall determine the type of the learning
activity based on guidance provided by DESE and feedback from district
educators.

12.06Evaluation
Cycle:Annual Orientation

At the start of each school year,
the superintendent or designee shall conduct training for all Educators and
Evaluators focused substantially on educator evaluation. The superintendent, or
designee shall:

A.Provide an overview of the evaluation process,
including goal setting and the educator plans.

B.Provide all Educators with directions for obtaining a copy
of the forms used by the district. These may be electronically provided.

C.Provide the content of this training in digital format
to facilitate orientation of Educators hired after the beginning of the school
year.

12.07Evaluation
Cycle:Self-Assessment

A.Completing the Self-Assessment

i.The evaluation cycle begins with the Educator
completing and submitting to the Primary or Supervising Evaluator a
self-assessment by October 1st or within four weeks of the start of their
employment at the school.

ii.The self-assessment includes:

a.An analysis of evidence of student learning, growth and
achievement for students under the Educators responsibility.

b.An assessment of practice against each of the four
Performance Standards of effective practice using the districts rubric.

c.Proposed goals to pursue:

1st:
At least one goal directly related to improving the Educators own professional
practice.

i.Educators should consider goals for grade-level,
subject-area, department teams, or other groups of Educators who share
responsibility for student learning and results, except as provided in (ii)
below. Educators may meet with teams to consider establishing team goals.Evaluators may participate in such meetings.

ii.For Educators in their first year of practice, the
Primary or Supervising Evaluator will meet with each Educator by October 1st
(or within four weeks of the Educators first day of employment if the Educator
begins employment after September 15th) to assist the Educator in
completing the self-assessment and drafting the professional practice and
student learning goals which must include induction and mentoring activities.

iii.Unless the Evaluator indicates that an Educator in
his/hersecond orthird years of practice should continue to
address induction and mentoring goals pursuant to 603 CMR 7.12, the Educator
may address shared grade level or subject area team goals.

iv.For Educators with PTS and ratings of proficient or
exemplary, the goals may be team goals. In addition, these Educators may
include individual professional practice goals that address enhancing skills
that enable the Educator to share proficient practices with colleagues or
develop leadership skills.

v.For Educators with PTS and ratings of needs improvement
or unsatisfactory, the professional practice goal(s) must address specific
standards and indicators identified for improvement. In addition, the goals may
address shared grade level or subject area team goals.

12.08Evaluation
Cycle: Goal Setting and Development of the Educator Plan

A.Every Educator has an Educator Plan that includes, one
goal related to the improvement of practice; one goal for the improvement of
student learning. An Educator whose overall rating is Proficient or Exemplary
may choose to propose additional goals.The Plan also outlines actions the Educator must take to attain the
goals established in the Plan and benchmarks to assess progress.Goals may be developed by individual
Educators, by the Evaluator, or by teams, departments, or groups of Educators
who have the similar roles and/or responsibilities.See Sections 15-19 for more on Educator
Plans. Goals will be based on a minimum of one indicator per standard and one
element for that indicator.

B.To determine the goals to be included in the Educator
Plan, the Evaluator reviews the goals the Educator has proposed in the
Self-Assessment, using evidence of Educator performance and impact on student
learning, growth and achievement based on the Educators self-assessment and
other sources that Evaluator shares with the Educator.The process for determining the Educators
impact on student learning, growth and achievement will be determined after
DESE issues guidance on this matter. See #22, below.

C.Educator Plan Development Meetings shall be conducted
as follows:

i.Educators in the same school may meet with the
Evaluator in teams and/or individually at the end of the previous evaluation
cycle or by October 15th of the next academic year to develop their Educator
Plan.Educators shall not be expected to
meet during the summer hiatus.

ii.For those Educators new to the school, the meeting with
the Evaluator to establish the Educator Plan must occur by October 15th
or within six weeks of the start of their assignment in that school

iii.The Evaluator shall meet individually with Educators
with PTS and ratings of needs improvement or unsatisfactory to develop
professional practice goal(s) that must address specific standards and
indicators identified for improvement.In addition, the goals may address shared grade level or subject matter
goals.

D.The Evaluator completes the Educator Plan by November
1st. The Educator shall sign the Educator Plan within 5 school days of its
receipt and may include a written response. The Educators signature indicates
that the Educator received the plan in a timely fashion. The signature does not
indicate agreement or disagreement with its contents. The Evaluator retains
final authority over the content of the Educators Plan.

12.09Evaluation
Cycle:Observation of Practice and
Examination of Artifacts  Educators without
PTS

A.In the first year of practice or first year assigned to
a school:

i.The Educator shall have at least one announced
observation during the school year using the protocol described in section 11B,
below.

ii.The Educator shall have at least three unannounced
observations during the school year.

B.In their second and third years of practice or second
and third years as a non-PTS Educator in the school:

i.The Educator shall have at least one announced
observation during the school year using the protocol described in section 11B,
below.

ii.The Educator shall have at least two unannounced
observations during the school year.

12.10Evaluation
Cycle:Observation of Practice and
Examination of Artifacts  Educators with PTS

A.The Educator whose overall rating is proficient or
exemplary must have at least one unannounced observation during the evaluation
cycle. An additional unannounced observation will occur within a reasonable
period of time if requested by the Educator and/or Evaluator.

B.The Educator whose overall rating is needs improvement
must be observed according to the Directed Growth Plan during the period of
Plan which must include at least two unannounced observations. An additional
unannounced observation will occur within a reasonable period of time if
requested by the Educator and/or Evaluator.

C.The Educator whose overall rating is unsatisfactory
must be observed according to the Improvement Plan which must include both
unannounced and announced observation.The number and frequency of the observations shall be determined by the
Evaluator, but in no case, for improvement plans of one year, shall there be no
fewer than one announced and four unannounced observations. For Improvement
Plans of six months or fewer, there must be no fewer than one announced and two
unannounced observations. An additional announced and/or unannounced
observation will occur within a reasonable period of time if requested by the
Educator and/or Evaluator.

12.11Observations

The Evaluators first observation
of the Educator should take place by November 15.Observations required by the Educator Plan
should be completed by May 15th.The
Evaluator may conduct additional observations after this date.

The Evaluator is not required nor
expected to review all the indicators in a rubric during an observation. The
primary focus of the observations will be on the indicators and elements
agreed-upon in the educator plan. Barring any extenuating circumstances,
observations will not occur on the day before a vacation period.

A.Unannounced Observations

i.Unannounced observations may be in the form of partial
(at least 15 minutes) or full-period classroom visitations, Instructional
Rounds, Walkthroughs, Learning Walks, or any other means deemed useful by the
Primary and/or Secondary Evaluator or superintendent.

ii.The Educator will be provided with at least brief
written feedback from the Evaluator within 3-5 school days of the
observation.The written feedback shall
be delivered to the Educator in person, electronically via a secure connection or
mailed to the Educators home. A follow-up face-to-face conversation will be
held within a reasonable period of time at the request of the Educator or the
Evaluator.

iii.Any observation or series of observations resulting in
one or more standards judged to be unsatisfactory or needs improvement for the
first time must be followed by at least one observation of at least 30 minutes
in duration within 30 school days.

B.Announced Observations

i.All non-PTS Educators in their first three (3) years in
the school, PTS Educators on Improvement Plans and other educators at the
request of the Educator and/or the Evaluator shall have at least one Announced
Observation.

a.The Educator and Evaluator together shall select the
date and time of the lesson or activity to be observed and discuss any specific
goal(s) for the observation.

b.Within 5 school days of the scheduled observation, upon
request of either the Evaluator or Educator, the Evaluator and Educator shall
meet for a pre-observation conference. In lieu of a meeting, the Educator
mayinform the Evaluator in writing of
the nature of the lesson, the student population served, and any other
information that will assist the Evaluator to assess performance

1st:
The Educator shall provide the Evaluator a draft of the lesson, student
conference, IEP plan or activity. If the actual plan is different, the Educator
will provide the Evaluator with a copy prior to the observation.

2nd:
The Educator will be notified as soon as possible if the Evaluator will not be
able to attend the scheduled observation. The observation will be rescheduled
with the Educator as soon as reasonably practical.

c.Within 5 school days of the observation, the Evaluator
and Educator shall meet for a post-observation conference.This timeframe may be extended due to
unavailability on the part of either the Evaluator or the Educator, but shall
be rescheduled within 24 hours if possible.

d.The Evaluator shall provide the Educator with written
feedback within 5 school days of the post-observation conference.For any standard where the Educators
practice was found to be unsatisfactory or needs improvement, the feedback
must:

1st:
Describe the basis for the Evaluators judgment.

2nd:
Describe actions the Educator should take to improve his/her performance.

3rd:
Identify support and/or resources the Educator may use in his/her improvement.

4th:
State that the Educator is responsible for addressing the need for improvement.

12.12Evaluation
Cycle:Formative Assessment

A.A specific purpose for evaluation is to promote student
learning, growth and achievement by providing Educators with feedback for
improvement.Evaluators are expected to
give targeted constructive feedback to Educators based on their observations of
practice, examination of artifacts, and analysis of multiple measures of
student learning, growth and achievement in relation to the Standards and
Indicators of Effective Teaching Practice as set forth in the Educator Plan.

B.Formative assessment may be ongoing throughout the
evaluation cycle but typically takes places mid-cycle when a Formative
Assessment Report is completed.For an
Educator on a two-year Self-Directed Growth Plan, the mid-cycle Formative
Assessment Report is replaced by the Formative Evaluation Report at the end of
year one.See section 13, below.

C.The Formative Assessment Report provides written
feedback and ratings to the Educator about his/her progress towards attaining
the goals set forth in the Educator Plan.

D.No less than two weeks before the due date for the
Formative Assessment Report, which due date shall be established by the
Evaluator with written notice to the Educator, the Educator shall provide to
the Evaluator evidence offamily
outreach and engagement, fulfillment of professional responsibility and growth,
and progress on attaining professional practice and student learning goals. The
educator may provide to the evaluator additional evidence of the educators
performances against the four Performance Standards.

E.Upon the request of either the Evaluator or the
Educator, the Evaluator and the Educator will meet either before or after
completion of the Formative Assessment Report.

F.The
Evaluator shall complete the Formative Assessment Report and provide a copy to
the Educator. All Formative Assessment Reports must be signed by the Evaluator
and delivered face-to-face, electronically via a secure connection, or to the
Educatorshome.

G.The Educator may reply in writing to the Formative
Assessment Report within 5 school days of receiving the report.

H.The Educator shall sign the Formative Assessment Report
by within 5 school days of receiving the report. The signature indicates that
the Educator received the Formative Assessment Report in a timely fashion. The
signature does not indicate agreement or disagreement with its contents.

I.As a result of the Formative Assessment Report, the
Evaluator may change the activities in the Educator Plan.

J.If the rating in the Formative Assessment Report
differs from the last summative rating the Educator received, the Evaluator may
place the Educator on a different Educator Plan, appropriate to the new
rating.

12.13Evaluation
Cycle:Formative Evaluation for Two Year
Self-Directed Plans Only

A.Educators on two year Self-Directed Growth Educator
Plans receive a Formative Evaluation Report near the end of the first year of
the two year cycle.The Educators
performance rating for that year shall be assumed to be the same as the
previous summative rating unless evidence demonstrates a significant change in
performance in which case the rating on the performance standards may change,
and the Evaluator may place the Educator on a different Educator plan,
appropriate to the new rating.

B.The Formative Evaluation Report provides written
feedback and ratings to the Educator about his/her progress towards attaining
the goals set forth in the Educator Plan.

C.No less than two weeks before the due date for the
Formative Evaluation Report, which due date shall be established by the
Evaluator with written notice provided to the Educator, the Educator shall
provide to the Evaluator evidence offamily outreach and engagement, fulfillment of professional
responsibility and growth, and progress on attaining professional practice and
student learning goals. The educator may also provide to the evaluator
additional evidence of the educators performance against the four Performance
Standards.

D.The
Evaluator shall complete the Formative Evaluation Report and provide a copy to
the Educator. All Formative Evaluation reports must be signed by the Evaluator
and delivered face-to-face, electronically via a secure connection or to the
Educators home.

E.Upon the request of either the Evaluator or the
Educator, the Evaluator and the Educator will meet either before or after
completion of the Formative Evaluation Report.

F.The Educator may reply in writing to the Formative
Evaluation Report within 5 school days of receiving the report.

G.The Educator shall sign the Formative Evaluation Report
by within 5 school days of receiving the report. The signature indicates that
the Educator received the Formative Evaluation Report in a timely fashion. The
signature does not indicate agreement or disagreement with its contents.

H.As a result of the Formative Evaluation Report, the
Evaluator may change the activities in the Educator Plan.

I.If the rating in the Formative Evaluation Report
differs from the last summative rating the Educator received, the Evaluator may
place the Educator on a different Educator Plan, appropriate to the new
rating.

12.14Evaluation
Cycle:Summative Evaluation

A.The evaluation cycle concludes with a Summative
Evaluation Report.For Educators on a
one or two year Educator Plan, the Summative Evaluation Report must be written
and provided to the Educator by May 15th.

B.The Evaluator determines a rating on each standard and
an overall rating based on the Evaluators professional judgment, an
examination of evidence against the Performance Standards and evidence of the
attainment of the Educator Plan goals.

C.The professional judgment of the Primary Evaluator shall
determine the overall summative rating that the Educator receives.

D.For an Educator whose overall performance rating is
exemplary or proficient and whose impact on student learning is low, the
Evaluators Supervisor shall discuss and review the rating with the Evaluator
and the Supervisor shall confirm or revise the Educators rating.

E.The summative evaluation rating must be based on
evidence from multiple categories of evidence.MCAS Growth scores shall not be the sole basis for a summative
evaluation rating.

F.To be rated proficient overall, the Educator shall, at
a minimum, have been rated proficient on the Curriculum, Planning and
Assessment and the Teaching All Students Standards of Effective Teaching
Practice.

G.No less thanfour weeks before the due date for the Summative Evaluation Report,
which due date shall be established by the Evaluator with written notice
provided to the Educator, the Educator will provide to the Evaluator evidence
of family outreach and engagement, fulfillment of professional responsibility
and growth, and progress on attaining professional practice and student
learning goals. The educator may also provide to the evaluator additional
evidence of the educators performance against the four Performance Standards.

H.The Summative Evaluation Report should recognize areas
of strength as well as identify recommendations for professional growth.

I.The Evaluator shall deliver a signed copy
of the Summative Evaluation Report to the Educator face-to-face, electronically
via a secure connection or to the Educatorshome no later than May 15th.

J.The Evaluator shall meet with the Educator rated needs
improvement or unsatisfactory to discuss the summative evaluation. The meeting
shall occur by June 1st.

K.The Evaluator shall meet with the Educator rated
proficient or exemplary to discuss the summative evaluation, if either the
Educator or the Evaluator requests such a meeting. The meeting shall occur by
June 10th.

L.Upon mutual agreement, the Educator and the Evaluator
may develop the Self-Directed Growth Plan for the following two years during
the meeting on the Summative Evaluation Report.

M.The Educator shall sign the final Summative Evaluation
Report by June 15th. The signature indicates that the Educator received the
Summative Evaluation Report in a timely fashion. The signature does not
indicate agreement or disagreement with its contents.

N.The Educator shall have the right to respond in writing
to the summative evaluation which shall become part of the final Summative
Evaluation Report.

O.A copy of the signed final Summative Evaluation Report
shall be filed in the Educators personnel file.

12.15Educator
Plans  General

A.Educator Plans shall be designed to provide Educators
with feedback for improvement, professional growth, and leadership; and to ensure
Educator effectiveness and overall system accountability. The Plan must be
aligned to the standards and indicators and be consistent with district and
school goals.

B.The Educator Plan shall include, but is not limited to:

i.At least one goal related to improvement of practice
tied to one or more Performance Standards;

ii.At least one goal for the improvement of the learning,
growth and achievement of the students under the Educators responsibility;

iii.An outline of actions the Educator must take to attain
the goals and benchmarks to assess progress. Actions must include specified
professional development and learning activities that the Educator will
participate in as a means of obtaining the goals, as well as other support that
may be suggested by the Evaluator or provided by the school or district.Examples may include but are not limited to
coursework, self-study, action research, curriculum development, study groups
with peers, and implementing new programs.

C.It is the Educators responsibility to attain the goals
in the Plan and to participate in any trainings and professional development
provided through the state, district, or other providers in accordance with the
Educator Plan.

12.16Educator
Plans:Developing Educator Plan

A.The Developing Educator Plan is for all Educators
without PTS, and, at the discretion of the Evaluator, Educators with PTS in new
assignments.

B.The Educator shall be evaluated at least annually.

12.17Educator
Plans:Self-Directed Growth Plan

A.A Two-year Self-Directed Growth Plan is for those
Educators with PTS who have an overall rating of proficient or exemplary, and
after 2013-2014 whose impact on student learning is moderate or high.A formative evaluation report is completed at
the end of year 1 and a summative evaluation report at the end of year 2.

B.A One-year Self-Directed Growth Plan is for those
Educators with PTS who have an overall rating of proficient or exemplary, and
after 2013-2014 whose impact on student learning is low.In this case, the Evaluator and Educator
shall analyze the discrepancy between the summative evaluation rating and the
rating for impact on student learning to seek to determine the cause(s) of the
discrepancy.

12.18Educator
Plans:Directed Growth Plan

A.A Directed Growth Plan is for those Educators with PTS
whose overall rating is needs improvement.

B.The goals in the Plan must address areas identified as
needing improvement as determined by the Evaluator.

C.The Evaluator shall complete a summative evaluation for
the Educator at the end of the period determined by the Plan, but at least
annually, and in no case later than June 10th.

D.For an Educator on a Directed Growth Plan whose overall
performance rating is at least proficient, the Evaluator will place the
Educator on a Self-Directed Growth Plan for the next Evaluation Cycle.

E.For an Educator on a Directed Growth Plan whose overall
performance rating is not at least proficient, the Evaluator will rate the
Educator as unsatisfactory and will place the Educator on an Improvement Plan
for the next Evaluation Cycle.

12.19Educator
Plans:Improvement Plan

A.An Improvement Plan is for those Educators with PTS
whose overall rating is unsatisfactory.

B.The parties agree that in order to provide students
with the best instruction, it may be necessary from time to time to place an
Educator whose practice has been rated as unsatisfactory on an Improvement Plan
of no fewer than thirty (30) school days and no more than one school year.In the case of an Educator receiving a rating
of unsatisfactory near the close of one school year, the Improvement Plan may
include activities that occur during the summer before the next school year
begins.

C.The Evaluator must complete a summative evaluation for
the Educator at the end of the period determined by the Evaluator for the Plan.

D.An Educator on an Improvement Plan shall be assigned a
Supervising Evaluator (see definitions). The Supervising Evaluator is
responsible for providing the Educator with guidance and assistance in
accessing the resources and professional development outlined in the Improvement
Plan.The Primary Evaluator will be the
Supervising Evaluator, unless special circumstances warrant it.

E.The Improvement Plan shall define the problem(s) of
practice identified through the observations and evaluation and detail the
improvement goals to be met, the activities the Educator must take to improve
and the assistance to be provided to the Educator by the district.

F.The Improvement Plan process shall include:

i.Within ten school days of notification to the Educator
that the Educator is being placed on an Improvement Plan, the Evaluator shall
schedule a meeting with the Educator to discuss the Improvement Plan.The Evaluator will develop the Improvement
Plan, which will include specific assistance to the Educator.

ii.The Educator may request that a representative of the
Belchertown Teachers Association attend the meeting(s).

iii.If the Educator consents, the Belchertown Teachers
Association will be informed that an Educator has been placed on an Improvement
Plan.

G.The Improvement Plan shall:

i.Define the improvement goals directly related to the
performance standard(s) and/or student learning outcomes that must be improved;

ii.Describe the activities and work products the Educator
must complete as a means of improving performance;

iii.Describe the assistance that the district will make
available to the Educator;

iv.Articulate the measurable outcomes that will be
accepted as evidence of improvement;

v.Detail the timeline for completion of each component of
the Plan, including at a minimum a mid-cycle formative assessment report of the
relevant standard(s) and indicator(s);

vi.Identify the Supervising Evaluator assigned to assist
the Educator and a list of other individuals who could provide additional
assistance; and,

vii.Include the signatures of the Educator and Supervising
Evaluator.

H.A copy of the signed Plan shall be provided to the
Educator. The Educators signature indicates that the Educator received the
Improvement Plan in a timely fashion. The signature does not indicate agreement
or disagreement with its contents.

I.Decision on the Educators status at the conclusion of
the Improvement Plan.

i.All determinations below must be made no later than
June 1.One of the following decisions
must be made at the conclusion of the Improvement Plan:

a.If the Evaluator determines that the Educator has
improved his/her practice to the level of proficiency, the Educator will be
placed on a Self-Directed Growth Plan.

b.In those cases where the Educator was placed on an
Improvement Plan as a result of his/her summative rating at the end of his/her
Directed Growth Plan, if the Evaluator determines that the Educator is making
substantial progress toward proficiency, the Evaluator shall place the Educator
on a Directed Growth Plan.

c.In those cases where the Educator was placed on an
Improvement Plan as a result of his/her Summative rating at the end of his/her
Directed Growth Plan, if the Evaluator determines that the Educator is not
making substantial progress toward proficiency, the Evaluator shall recommend
to the superintendent that the Educator be dismissed.

d.If the Evaluator determines that the Educators
practice remains at the level of unsatisfactory, the Evaluator shall recommend
to the superintendent that the Educator be dismissed.

12.20Timelines (Dates in italics are provided as
guidance)

Activity:

Completed By:

Superintendent or designee meets with evaluators and
educators to explain evaluation process

September 15

Evaluator meets with first-year educators to assist in
self-assessment and goal setting process

Educator submits self-assessment and proposed goals

October 1

Evaluator meets with Educators in teams or individually to
establish Educator Plans (Educator Plan may be established at Summative
Evaluation Report meeting in prior school year)

October 15

Evaluator completes Educator Plans

November 1

Evaluator completes first observation of each Educator

November 15

Educator submits evidence on parent outreach, professional
growth, progress on goals (and other standards, if desired)

* or four weeks before Formative Assessment Report date
established by Evaluator

Evaluator meets with Educators whose ratings are
proficient or exemplary at request of Evaluator or Educator

June 10

Educator signs Summative Evaluation Report and adds
response, if any within 5 school days of receipt

June 15

A.Educators with PTS on Two Year Plans

Activity:

Completed By:

Evaluator completes unannounced observation(s)

Any time during the 2-year evaluation cycle

Evaluator completes Formative Evaluation Report

June 1 of Year 1

Evaluator conducts Formative Evaluation Meeting, if any

June 1 of Year 1

Evaluator completes Summative Evaluation Report

May 15 of Year 2

Evaluator conducts Summative Evaluation Meeting, if any

June 10 of Year 2

Evaluator and Educator sign Summative Evaluation Report

June 15 of Year 2

A.

B.Educators on Plans of Less than One Year

i.The timeline for educators on Plans of less than one
year will be established in the Educator Plan.

12.21Career Advancement

A.In order to attain Professional Teacher Status, the
Educator should achieve ratings of proficient or exemplary on each Performance
Standard and overall. A principal considering making an employment decision
that would lead to PTS for any Educator who has not been rated proficient or
exemplary on each performance standard and overall on the most recent
evaluation shall confer with the superintendent by May 1. The principals
decision is subject to review and approval by the superintendent.

B.In order to qualify to apply for a teacher leader
position, the Educator must have had a Summative Evaluation performance rating
of proficient or exemplary for at least the previous two years.

C.Educators with PTS whose summative performance rating
is exemplary and, after 2013-14, whose impact on student learning is rated
moderate or high, shall be recognized and rewarded with leadership roles,
promotions, additional compensation, public commendation or other
acknowledgement as determined by the district through collective bargaining
where applicable.

12.22Rating Impact on Student Learning Growth

DESE will provide model contract
language and guidance on rating educator impact on student learning growth
based on state and district-determined measures of student learning by July 15,
2012. Upon receiving this model contract language and guidance, the parties
agree to bargain with respect to this matter.

12.23Using Student feedback in Educator Evaluation

DESE will provide model contract
language, direction and guidance on using student feedback in Educator
Evaluation by June 30, 2013. Upon receiving this model contract language,
direction and guidance, the parties agree to bargain with respect to this
matter.

12.24Transition
from Existing Evaluation System

A.The parties shall agree on a process for
identifying the Educator Plan that each Educator will be placed on during the
Educators first year being evaluated under the new procedures, providing that Educators
who have received ratings of unsatisfactory or its equivalent in the prior year will
be placed on Self-Directed Growth or Improvement Plans at the sole discretion
of the Superintendent.

B.During the first evaluation cycle under this Agreement in every school
or department, Educators who
were evaluated during the 2011-2012 school year will be placed on a 2-year Self-Directed Growth Plan.
Educators who were not evaluated during the 2011-2012 school year will be placed on a
1-year Self-Directed Growth Plan.

12.25General Provisions

A.Only licensed administrators may serve as primary
evaluators of Educators.

B.Evaluators shall not make negative comments about the
Educators performance, or comments of a negative evaluative nature, in the
presence of students, parents or other staff, except in the unusual
circumstance where the Evaluator concludes that s/he must immediately and
directly intervene.Nothing in this
paragraph is intended to limit an administrators ability to investigate a
complaint, or secure assistance to support an Educator.

C.The superintendent shall insure that Evaluators have
training in supervision and evaluation, including the regulations and standards
and indicators of effective teaching practice promulgated by DESE (35.03), and
the evaluation Standards and Procedures established in this Agreement.

D.Should there be a serious disagreement between the
Educator and the Evaluator regarding an overall summative performance rating of
needs improvement or unsatisfactory, the Educator may appeal to the Evaluators
supervisor. Should the Educator request such an appeal, the Evaluators
supervisor must meet with the Educator.The Evaluator may attend any such meeting at the discretion of the
superintendent. The superintendent shall hear a final appeal at the request of
the Educator. The decision of the superintendent shall be final.

E.The parties agree to establish a joint labor-management
evaluation team which shall review the evaluation processes and procedures two
times during the first year and annually through the second and third years of
implementation and recommend adjustments to the parties. In the first year, the
team will meet between February 1 and February 15, 2013; and again at a
mutually-agreed date in June. The parties agree to reconvene to finalize any
adjustments to the contract recommended by the team.

F.Violations of this article are subject to the grievance
and arbitration procedures.The
arbitrator shall determine whether there was substantial compliance with the
totality of the evaluation process. When the evaluation process results in the
termination or non-renewal of an Educator, then no financial remedy or
reinstatement shall issue if there was substantial compliance.

ARTICLE 13

PROTECTION OF TEACHERS

13.01Assaults

A.Principals and teachers shall be
required to report any case of assault on

teachers
in connection with their employment to the Superintendent of

Schools.The Superintendent of Schools shall
acknowledge receipt of such

report and shall report this
information to the School Committee.

1.The alleged assault will be promptly
investigated by the principal and

Superintendent.

2.If the assault is by a person who is
not a pupil, the School Department

shall
promptly report the incident to the proper law enforcement authorities.

3.In either case (pupil or non-pupil) the
School Department will render all reasonable aid to the teacher in connection
with handling of the incident by law enforcement, legal, and medical
authorities.

B.Workers Compensation

1.An employee covered by this agreement
who is eligible for Workers Compensation under Massachusetts
General Laws 152 will have the option of receiving:(a) Workers Compensation only, or (b)
Workers Compensation plus that portion of
his/her sick leave accrued as of the date the leave commences which, when
added to Workers Compensation, equals 100% of his/her
salary.The employee must have
accumulated sick leave to choose option (b).

2.The affected employee shall make either/or
choice in writing at the

beginning of the
leave which will be followed for the duration of the leave.

3.In the event an employee's sick leave
entitlement is exhausted, the benefit of the sick leave addition will cease.

4.It will not be permissible for an
employee to receive more than 100% of his/her normal pay under the employee's
current contractual wage scale.

C.The School Committee shall reimburse a
teacher for:

1.Any clothing or other personal property
damaged or destroyed as a result of an assault suffered in the course of
his/her employment; and

2.The cost of any medical, surgical, or
hospital services (over and above the amount of any insurance reimbursement and
Workers Compensation received by said teacher) incurred as the result of any
assault suffered in the course of his/her employment.

13.02Indemnification

A. So far as permitted by
Chapter 41, Section 100C of the General Laws of the Commonwealth as amended by
Chapter 513 of the Acts of 1964, the School Committee shall provide
indemnification whenever any teacher shall become eligible therefor.

13.03Teacher's
Rights

A.No teacher will be disciplined, reduced
in pay or rank, discharged or denied a benefit without just cause.

B.No
teacher shall be required to transport a pupil in his/her private automobile without
prior arrangement and proper compensation.Teachers receiving

mileage
reimbursement or payments in lieu of direct mileage compensation

may
be asked to transport pupils on special occasions.

C.Disciplinary Interviews -Any teacher who requests that an Association

representative
be present at an investigator interview should be allowed to

have such representation if the
teacher reasonably believes that he or she will

be
subject to disciplinary action.

ARTICLE 14

TEMPORARY LEAVES OF ABSENCE

14.01Sick Leave- A teacher shall be entitled to up to
fifteen (15) days per year without loss of pay.The Superintendent or his/her administrative designee, upon request,
will be furnished with a doctor's certificate for any absence of more than
three (3) consecutive days and for any habitual absence immediately preceding
or following a weekend, or school recess or vacation period.These periods shall include the Thanksgiving
recess, the December recess, and the February and April vacations.Sick leave days may be accumulated without
limit.Said absence shall be the result
of personal illness or illness in the immediate family, that is spouse, parent,
child or permanent resident living within the employees household.The Superintendent may require proof of
residency.Absence for other cause shall
result in the standard deduction except as the Committee may vote
otherwise.The sick leave of any person
in the employ of the School Committee will terminate upon the day of death of
said person. First year teachers in the Belchertown School System will earn
leave at the rate of one and one-half days per month beginning September 1 and
ending June 30.After this first year,
sick leave will be handled in the normal manner.First year teachers will be paid for sick
leave only to the extent of their accumulation;however, the teacher who is not paid for such time at the time of
his/her illness will be paid for such time at the end of the school year
providing the sick leave has been earned.

A.Sick Leave Bank

1.A Sick Leave Bank Committee will be
established composed of;

a.Three (3) teachers appointed by the
President of the Teachers'

Association;

b.One (1) person appointed by the
Superintendent of Schools;

c.Two (2) members of the School Committee
appointed by the Chairman of the School Committee;

d.Decisions of the Sick Bank Committee
shall not be subject to the grievance procedure; and

e.No payment from the Sick Bank shall be
made except on a regular warrant approved by the School Committee;

f.Copies of requests to use the sick
bank and responses will be sent through the Superintendent's Office to the
teacher involved, the School Committee, the B.T.A. President, and the Town
Accountant.

2.If a member of the Sick Leave Bank uses
all of his/her sick day for just cause, he/she may have additional sick leave
days from the Sick Leave Bank for legitimate reasons until such time as he/she
accrues more sick leave days of his/her own or exceeds the limits defined
below.

a.Each employee covered by this contract
may become a member of the SickLeave
Bank by donating one (1) sick leave day to the Bank within forty-five (45)
calendar days of his/her employment by the School Committee, whichever is
later.Each member of the Sick Leave
Bank will also agree to donate one (1) additional day at the beginning of each
school year hereafter plus any days assessed by the Sick Leave Bank Committee.
A member may withdraw from the Bank for a subsequent school year by giving
written notice to the Sick Leave Bank Committee and the SchoolCommittee by September 15 of the school year
during which he/she no longer desires membership.

b.Each member of the Sick Leave Bank may
receive up to twenty-five (25) days of sick leave from the Bank per school year
on approval of the Sick Leave Bank Committee. Additional days of sick leave
from the Bank may be granted by a majority vote of the membership of the Sick
Leave Bank.If it is not feasible to
receive this approval or vote prior to a member's absence, the School Committee
may withhold the salary of the teacher for the days in question until such time
as a decision has been made.If the Sick
Leave Bank Committee approves, the days shall be deducted from the Bank's total
and the teacher shall be paid his/her salary in full for the days in question.

c.If the number of sick leave days in the
Bank are depleted below two hundred (200) days, one (1) additional day for the
Bank may be assessed each member.

d.If the sick leave days in the Bank
equal or exceed four hundred (400) days at the end of the school year, the past
members of the Bank will not need to donate any days to maintain membership for
the following school year unless days are needed under "c" above.

e.If a teacher who once decided not to
join the Sick Leave Bank decides to join in a subsequent year, his/her initial
donation to the Bank must equal the total number of days that he/she would have
donated to the Bank through the years had he/she joined initially.In no case will this initial donation exceed
ten (10) days.

f.No member of the Sick Leave Bank will be denied
continuation of membership in the Bank because he/she has no sick leave days of
his/her own to donate to the Bank when additional assessments are made for the
Bank.His/Her assessment will be made up
at the beginning of the following school year.

g.On November 1 of each school year, the Sick Leave Bank Committee
will inform the Superintendent's Office in writing of the number of sick leave
days donated by each member to the Bank and the number of days accrued by the
Bank itself according to its records. The Superintendent's Office will advise
in writing the Sick Leave Bank Committee the number of sick days accumulated by
each member.

14.02Personal Leave -All teachers will be entitled to
personalleave without loss of pay, not to exceed two (2) days per school
year, for the purpose of conducting important personal business which could not
be scheduled outside school hours.A
written request must be submitted to the Superintendent of Schools at least two
(2) days in advance of the day the leave is to be taken, except in
emergencies.The request need not
specify the specific nature of the business to be conducted.Teachers may accumulate up to four (4)
personal days by carrying unused personal days into the following school
year.All requests for three (3) or more
consecutive personal days must have prior approval of the Superintendent.Unused personal days that cannot be carried
into the following school year will be addedto accumulated sick leave at the end of each school year.

14.03Professional Leave -Teachers will be guaranteed a minimum of one
(1) day of professional leave during each school year.Additional days may be granted at the discretion
of the Superintendent or designee.If a
teacher is denied professional leave by a designee, s/he may appeal to the
Superintendent, whose decision shall be final.

14.04Bereavement Leave -Teachers will be allowed five (5) days of bereavement leave upon
the death of a spouse, parent, or child.A teacher shall be entitled to three (3) consecutive calendar days leave
without loss of pay for death in the immediate family.Immediate family shall include mother-in-law,
father-in-law, brother, sister, grandparents, grandchild, brother-in-law,
sister-in-law, aunt, uncle or permanentresident
living within the employees household. The Superintendent may requestproof of residency.Two (2) additional days shall be
granted for the death of an immediate family member requiring travel in excess
of two hundred (200) miles. Additional bereavement leave may be granted by the
Superintendent.

One day, for each occurrence,
will be deducted from personal leave first, then from sick leave, for attending
the funerals of close friends, co-workers, or relatives not covered above.

14.05Jury Leave -Teachers will not suffer loss of regular
earnings for time spent on jury leave during the school year provided all monies
received for said jury service are turned over to the Town.

Witness Leave  Teachers will not suffer loss of
regular earnings for time required to report to court due to being subpoenaed
as a witness.Said leave will be
deducted from personal leave first, then from sick leave.

14.06Substitutes - The parties will
continue to explore means of increasing the supply of competent substitutes.

ARTICLE 15

EXTENDED LEAVES OF ABSENCE

15.01Professional Improvement Leave --
UnpaidOne (1) teacher with
professional teacher status per year is eligible for a leave, upon approval by
April 15 of the current year, for the purpose of engaging in professional
improvement activities.The teacher must
provide a written rationale for the request and how the activities will benefit
his/her students.Such leave is only granted in areas where
replacement for one (1) year would not
create hardship for the school system.Salary increment for the year of leave may be granted at the discretion
of the School Committee upon written request and upon proof being submitted of
benefit to the school system.It is
expected that the teacher will return to his/her position in the district for
at least one (1) school year following the leave.

15.02Maternity, Parental and Adoption Leave

A. Childbirth: Female teachers will be
granted a maternity leave of up to eight (8) weeks for the purpose of giving
birth. A written notice must be submitted by the teacher to the Superintendent
or his/her designee at least two (2) weeks before the anticipated date of
departure.Tentative date of intention
to return should also be indicated at this time.The teacher may draw on accumulated sick
leave during this period of temporary disability upon presentation of a
certificate from a Massachusetts licensed doctor.Teachers who have insufficient accumulated
sick days to cover the eight (8) weeks leave may apply to the sick leave bank
if a member of the bank. It is intended that this leave be counted toward the
annual 12 weeks of leave permitted under the federal Family and Medical Leave
Act (FMLA). Paid leave beyond the eight (8) weeks will be allowed only when a
doctors note specifically identifies the the length of time for recovery or
specified date of return and that said request falls within the work year.

B.Parental Leave: A teacher may take a paidparental leave of up to ten (10) days
to coincide with the birth or adoption of his/her child by drawing upon his/her
accumulated sick leave during this period.A written notice must be submitted by the teacher to the Superintendent
or his/her designee at least two (2) weeks before the anticipated date of the
leave.

C.Adoption:Teachers will be granted a leave of up to
eight (8) weeks for the purpose of adopting a child under the age of eighteen
or for adopting a child under the age of twenty-three if the child is mentally
or physically disabled.If the adoption
agency requires and certifies that an adopting parent must stay home with the
child, then the teacher will be paid up to thirty (30) school days of sick
leave during that school year if the teacherhas unusedsick leave
in his/her account. A written notice
must be submitted by the teacher to the Superintendent or his/her designee at
least two (2) weeks before the anticipated date of departure.Tentative date of intention to return should
also be indicated at this time.It is
intended that this leave be counted toward the annual 12 weeks of leave permitted
under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

D.A
teacher may take an unpaid child-rearing leave until the end of theschool year if she/he notifies the
Superintendent or his/her designee within one (1) week after the birth or
adoption.An additional year of unpaid
child-rearing leave may be granted at the sole discretion of the
Superintendent.

15.03Military Leave - Unpaid -Military leave without pay shall be granted
to any teacher who is inducted or enlists in any branch of the armed forces of
the United States.Upon return from such
leave, a teacher shall be placed on the salary schedule at the level which
he/she would have achieved had he/she remained actively employed in the system during
the period of his/her absence up to a maximum of three (3) years.

15.04Peace Corps  Unpaid -Upon
his/her request any teacher covered by this contract who is a teacher with
professional status may be granted a leave of absence without pay for two (2)
years to work with the Peace Corps. Upon his/her return to the School System,
his/her salary shall be the same as he/she would have received had the period
of his/her Peace Corps Service been spent in the Belchertown School System.

15.05Selective Service Examination-Each teacher shall be granted time off without loss of pay or without
charge to sick leave when required to be in attendance for a physical
examination or other test required by the Selective Service.

15.06Requests for Leave -All requests for leave under this Article
shall be made through the teacher's principal to the Superintendent of Schools.

15.07Extension of Leave of Absence
-Leaves of absence may be extended by
the Superintendent.

15.08After five (5) years of continuous
employment in Belchertown School System, a teacher may be granted a leave of
absence, without pay, for up to one (1) year for serious family illness.
Requests for such leave will be supported by appropriate medical evidence.

15.09Anyteacher with professional status whose personal illness extends beyond
the period compensated may be granted a leave of absence without pay for such
time as is necessary for complete recovery from such illness.

15.10A
teacher with at least ten (10) years of continuous employment in the
Belchertown School System may, at the
discretion of the Superintendent, be granted a leave of absence without pay for
up to one (1) year to pursue a possible alternative career. Teachers who are granted such a leave must
indicate to the Superintendent by the end of May of the year the leave takes
place if they intend to return to the system.If the teacher fails to contact the Superintendent by the end of May,
the teacher will forfeit his/her rights and will be considered to have
resigned.

15.11Sick
leave accrued prior to the commencement of a leave of absence will be restored
to the teacher upon his/her return, and such teacher will be assigned to the
same or a substantially equivalent position.

15.12 All requests for extensions or renewals
of leaves will be applied for and answered in writing.A teacher's entitlement to his/her prior position
upon return from such extensions or renewal will be arranged on an individual
basis.

15.13 Any teacher on leave who does not return
to work upon the termination of said leave shall be considered as having
resigned from his/her position, unless notice is given, prior to the expiration
of the leave, that the teacher will be
unable to return due to incapacitating illness or other circumstances beyond
the control of the individual.

15.14A teacher may be granted personal leave
for up to one (1) year for the purpose of caring for a family member.This leave will be without pay.

15.15 Selected professional leaves of short
duration, for up to one college term, may be granted at the discretion of the
Superintendent,without recourse under
the grievance  arbitration provisions of this Agreement as to a denial of such
a leave.

ARTICLE 16

COMPENSATION

16.01Subject to the provisions of this contract,
the wages, hours, and other conditions of employment as applicable to current
school policies and procedures in effect on the date ofthis contract shall continue to be so
applicable and shall apply to employees covered by this contract.

16.02The salary schedule for the 2013 
2016 school years is attached to this contract as Appendix A.

Effective FY 14 (2013-2014):+1% increase

Effective FY 15 (2014-2015):+2% increase

Effective
FY 16 (2015-2016):+2% increase

16.03Additional Compensation:A)The
basic salary of a teacher shall not be increased to compensate for the
assumption of additionalresponsibilities.A separate schedule Appendix B shall
be established of all responsibilities for which there is additional
compensation.The exception to this
rule is compensation for professional and curriculum development time, tutoring,
and mentoring approved by the Superintendent or his/her designee.Teachers who volunteer to participate in
these activities beyond their contractually required time will be paid

$30 per hour.

B)In order for a new after school club or
extra-curricular activity to be eligible for a stipend and included in Appendix B, it must proceed as follows:

1)Receive School
Council approval;

2)Operate for one
year without a stipend;

3)Be deemed viable by the schools Principal.

The Principals determination of the viability of a club or
extra-curricular activity will occur after the club is in existence for one
year.The Principal will make his/her
determination by reviewing the club size, student interest, and meeting
regularity.If the Principal also
considers other criteria, s/he must make those criteria known to staff member
in charge of the club/activity.

In the event the Principal deems the club/activity not viable, the
Principal will provide in writing his/her reason(s) to the staff member in
charge of the club/activity.

The staff member in charge of the club/activity may appeal the
Principals decision in writing to the Superintendent. The Superintendent will
meet with the staff member within ten (10) school days of notification of the
appeal.The Superintendents decision is
final and cannot be grieved except for bad faith.

16.04Extra Compensation as a Workshop Presenter

A.For
the purpose of this agreement, a workshop shall mean a short-term activity with
a clearly defined purpose, objective or goal.The time commitment is predetermined and the teacher's obligation is met
upon completion of the workshop. Workshops may be held on predetermined Tuesday
afternoons as defined by the contract, or during a full day teacher in-service
day.

B.Workshop
presenter positions from within the districts shall be posted according to the
teachers contract for internal postings.

C.Certified staff who are hired as
presenters of workshops held during the scheduled contract day shall be paid
$50.00 per hour of workshop time. Workshop presenters shall submit a proposal
for the workshop to the Superintendent of Schools for feedback at least ten
(10) days in advance of the workshop to be presented.

D.All teachers shall be notified of
workshops to be presented within five (5) workdays of their approval. The
Superintendent or her designee shall provide a process for teachers to register
for workshops being offered and furnish the workshop presenter with a list of
attendees at least three(3) days in advance of the workshop.

16.05Annual Increments:

A.The annual increments are not automatic, but are to be
dependent on satisfactory service.Even
if the teacher is serving at the discretion of the School Committee (with
professional status), a step increase may be withheld provided the teacher has
not rendered satisfactory service.Said
teacher is to be notified immediately in writing by the
principal/superintendent when it has been decided to withhold a step increase.

B.The salary schedule for teachers shall consist of seven
(7) categories as follows:B, B+15,
Masters, M+15, M+30, CAGS/MM, Doctorate.Teachers who have been compensated at the Masters degree level based
upon their attainment of a Bachelors +30 credits will continue to be so
compensated.Any future access to the
Masters degree level will require the attainment of a Masters degree.The B+30 column has been eliminated.

C.Credit courses from colleges must be approved in
advance by the Superintendent.

D.Requests for placement on the Bachelors plus 15 credits
column must be accompanied by a letter from the proper college authority
stating that the candidate is enrolled in and has successfully completed at
least fifteen (15) hours of credit in the Masters program.In unusual circumstances, a letter should be
submitted to the Superintendent outlining the reasons for requesting any
exceptions to the above.In any case,
advance approval must be secured before enrolling in any program of an
exceptional nature for which salary credit will be requested.The approval of any requests will be at the
discretion of the Superintendent and will be final in all cases.

E.Properly documented evidence of an actual Masters
Degree having been earned must be submitted in order to qualify for the Masters
Degree column.

F.Teachers planning to apply for the Masters plus 15
approved credits and the Masters plus 30 approved credits should make certain
that all credits are approved in advance by the Superintendent; otherwise, they
may not be accepted.

G.Changes in salary schedule status brought about by
additional degrees or credits received will be made on the last day of February
as well as the last day of September, provided that proper verification has
been received.The teacher must notify
the Central Office ninety (90) days in advance of the applicable effective
date.To assist in the construction of a
realistic budget, any one who believes that their pay status may change in the
coming fiscal year should notify the Central Office by January 1stof the current year.

H.Salary credit for previous teacher experience shall be
at the discretion of the principal with the approval of the
Superintendent.In evaluating this
experience, the principal shall consider such factors as:(a) the similarity between previous public
school experience and the position being filled in regard to such factors as
grade level and subject matter; (b) how recent this experience was; (c)
previous success, and (d) factors unique to the position being filled that
would require special consideration.

16.06Longevity Payments:An additional sum of $500 shall be paid
annually to those teachers who have completed twelve (12) years of full time
satisfactory service in the Belchertown Public Schools.Teachers who have completed fifteen (15)
years of said service shall receive an annual sum of $950.Teachers who have completed twenty (20) years
of said service shall receive an annual sum of $1,200, and teachers who have
completed twenty-five (25) years of said service shall receive an annual sum of
$1,700.The longevity increments will be
paid on the employees anniversary date of employment on an annual basis.

16.07Any faculty members who are required to
travel because of added responsibility will receive the following reimbursement:$200 per year.

16.08 Veteran teachers upon notice to the Superintendent of Schools no later
than June 1 of the school year preceding the school year in which
payment is to be received, and new teachers upon their official appointment,
may elect to receive their annual salary in equal payments plus one lump sum
included within the first July payroll period.

16.09If an employee is terminated, resigns, or
becomes deceased within a pay periodfor
which he/she received payment, the school district will reclaim the salary paid
for any days beyond the actual date of termination, resignation, or becoming
deceased.

ARTICLE 17

GROUP INSURANCE AND TAX SHELTERED
ANNUITY PLANS

17.01Group Insurance -All teachers covered by this contract shall
be eligible to participate in any Group Insurance Plan in accordance with the
provisions of said Plan adopted by the Town of Belchertown and in full force
and effect for all employees of the Town of Belchertown, or in any comparable
Plan subsequently established to cover solely employees of the Belchertown
Public Schools. Effective September 1, 2002, teachers enrolled in an HMO will
pay 25% of the premium and the Committee will pay 75%. Teachers enrolled in the
indemnity plan, which is currently paid 25%/75%, will continue to pay 25% of
the premium and the Committee will pay 75%. Any teacher who is a member of a reserve unit of the armed forces of
the United Statesand is called
for his or her annual tour of duty or for duty under M.G.L. chapter 33, section
thirty-eight, forty,forty-one
or sixty, shall continue to be eligible to participate in the Group Insurance
plan, and at the same premium percentage rates, as established under Article
13.01 for up to eighteen (18) months.

17.02Tax-sheltered Annuities -Teachers shall be eligible to participate in
a tax-sheltered annuity plan established pursuant to appropriate federal, state
and local law.All requests for
deductions must be received by August 1 to commence in September of each year.
An employee of the School Department shall not enroll in a tax-sheltered
annuity with more than one (1) company of his choice.

17.03Flexible
Spending AccountsThe
Belchertown Public Schools offers a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Plan to
employees as part of its benefits package.Two reimbursement accounts are available, a Health Flexible Spending
Account and a Dependent Care Assistant Plan.

ARTICLE 18

RETIREMENT CREDIT

18.01A teacher meeting the following criteria may
buy back his/her unused accumulated sick leave at $17/Day for all days up to
two hundred twenty five (225).The
maximum buy-back is $3,825.

A.The teacher must be retiring with fifteen (15) or more
years of service in Belchertown.

B.The teacher must have at least 100 accumulated sick
days.

C.The teacher must advise the Superintendents Office of
his/her intention to retire by February 1, immediately preceding the date of
retirement.This requirement may be waived
by the School Committee.

18.02The surviving spouse, or surviving
children living in the immediate family, of any (deceased) teacher entitled to
the accumulated sick leave buy-back provision of the contract, shall be
entitled to collect the earned (deceased) teachers retirement buy-back as
stipulated in the contract.

ARTICLE
19

PROFESSIONAL
IMPROVEMENT

19.01It is the policy of the Belchertown
School Committee to encourage teachers to continue professional study.The School Committee will require that the following conditions be
fulfilled relative to all courses/programs taken for compliance with the salary
schedule requirement:

A.Advance approval of courses/programs to be
studied shall be secured from the Superintendent of Schools on forms provided
by the Superintendent's Office.

B.Evidence must be
presented showing that the courses/programs have been completed with
satisfactory and passing grades.The
official transcript must be submitted to the Superintendent of Schools upon completion
of the course.

19.02Professional Improvement Reimbursement

A. The Committee
will budget $20,000 each school year for professional improvement. The
money will be distributed among all teachers who are eligible for participation
in the course/professional improvement reimbursement process. Professional
improvement shall be defined as courses, conferences, trainings, and/or
workshops provided by colleges, universities, or recognized organizations.

B.All
professional improvement approved by the district shall be eligible for
reimbursement if it aligns with the school and district goals as outlined in
the employees Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP) or Educator Evaluation plan.

C.In order to receive reimbursement, the teacher
must submit his/her application and must receive approval for professional
improvement activities in writing by the Superintendent or designee in
advance. If reimbursement for a course
is requested, an official transcript
with a passing grade of B or better (Pass if a Pass/Fail
course) must be submitted to the Superintendents Office no later than June 15. If reimbursement
for a conference, training, or workshop is requested, then
the teacher shall submit a certificate of completion and evidence of having shared the information with
colleagues to the Superintendents Office no later than June 15.

D.The maximum amount for reimbursement for college
course tuition and fees will be $800.00 for
each fiscal year.The maximum reimbursement
for conference, training, or workshop
registration fees will be $500 for each fiscal year.

19.03 Teachers will be responsible to maintain licensure
in their teaching areas.If the
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education changes the requirements, the
teacher will meet the requirements by the date prescribed.If the Department of Elementary and Secondary
Education grants a grandfather waiver on the requirement, the Committee will
agree to accept this condition.

19.04Placement will be effected on the last
day of September and the last day of February for courses completed and
certified to the Superintendent of Schools prior to those dates.

ARTICLE 20

DEDUCTIONS

20.01The School Committee shall provide that,
whenever duly authorized by any teacher on a form or forms approved by the
Committee, payroll deductions on behalf of such teacher shall be made every
payday and paid over in accordance with such form or forms for any or all of
the following purposes:

A.Premiums under the Town of Belchertown
Employees Group Insurance Program.

B.Premiums under any annuity contract
purchased for the teacher by the Committee.

C.Deductions for a credit union designated by
the Teachers' Association.

D.Deductions for payroll savings to a
financial institution of the individual teacher's choice.

All requests for deductions
must be made prior to August 1 of any year,deductions to commence in first check received in September of that same
year.

20.02Health
Insurance Deductions:The parties
agree that a Section 125 Plan of the IRS
Code for group health insurance will be established effective at the beginning
of the 1993-94 school year and thereafter.Effective July 1, 2010, annual health insurance premiums for members of
this unit will be deducted in equal payments from September through June.This provision will remain in effect for as
long as the Town of Belchertown agrees to provide this service to the
Belchertown School Department.

ARTICLE 21

MISCELLANEOUS
PROVISIONS

21.01Job
descriptions/duties will be updated with each new contract or as needed.

ARTICLE 22

DURATION/NEGOTIATIONS PROCEDURE

22.01Duration:This shall be a three-year contract fromJuly 1, 2013 through June 30, 2016, and shall
thereafter automatically renew itself for successive terms of one year each
unless by November 1 of the calendar year preceding the calendar year in which
this contract expires, either by the Committee or the Association shall have
given the other written notice of its desire to modify or terminate this
contract.

22.02Negotiations:If a successor agreement is not reached
before the expiration date of the existing date of the existing contract, the
existing contract shall remain in effect until the successor agreement is
reached.However, either party can
terminate the agreement after August 31 of the year in which the successor
agreement should take effect by serving written notice of their intent to
terminate the agreement.Said written
notice must be served at least forty (40) working days prior to the actual
termination, beginning not earlier than August 31.

ARTICLE 23

SAVINGS CLAUSE

23.01If for any provision of this Agreement or
any application of the Agreement to any employee or group of employees shall be
found to be contrary to law, then such provision or application shall not be
deemed valid and subsisting, except; to the extent permitted by law, but all
other provisions of applications will continue in full force and effect. The
parties will meet as soon as possible for the purpose of renegotiating the
provision or provisions affected.

FOR THEFOR THE

BELCHERTOWN SCHOOL COMMITTEEBELCHERTOWN TEACHERS

ASSOCIATION

DATE:________________DATE: ________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

APPENDIX A

SALARY SCHEDULE

STEP:

FY14

FY15

FY16

BA 1

38,467

39,236

40,021

BA 2

40,464

41,273

42,099

BA 3

42,471

43,321

44,187

BA 4

44,473

45,363

46,270

BA 5

46,474

47,403

48,351

BA 6

48,481

49,451

50,440

BA 7

50,479

51,489

52,518

BA 8

52,485

53,535

54,606

BA 9

54,484

55,574

56,686

BA 10

56,492

57,622

58,774

BA 11

58,495

59,665

60,858

BA 12

61,337

62,564

63,815

BA+15-1

39,762

40,557

41,368

BA+15-2

41,761

42,596

43,448

BA+15-3

43,767

44,643

45,535

BA+15-4

45,770

46,686

47,620

BA+15-5

47,766

48,722

49,696

BA+15-6

49,776

50,771

51,787

BA+15-7

51,777

52,812

53,869

BA+15-8

53,784

54,860

55,957

BA+15-9

55,790

56,906

58,044

BA+15-10

57,785

58,940

60,119

BA+15-11

59,791

60,987

62,206

BA+15-12

62,632

63,884

65,162

BA+30-12

64,284

65,570

66,881

M 1

41,703

42,537

43,388

M 2

43,706

44,580

45,472

M 3

45,714

46,628

47,561

M 4

47,715

48,669

49,642

M 5

49,717

50,711

51,726

M 6

51,720

52,755

53,810

M 7

53,721

54,796

55,892

M 8

55,730

56,844

57,981

M 9

57,734

58,889

60,067

M 10

59,731

60,926

62,144

M 11

61,736

62,971

64,230

M 12

64,578

65,870

67,187

M+15-1

42,998

43,858

44,735

M+15-2

45,011

45,911

46,829

M+15-3

47,006

47,947

48,905

M+15-4

49,012

49,992

50,992

M+15-5

51,012

52,032

53,073

M+15-6

53,014

54,074

55,156

M+15-7

55,019

56,120

57,242

M+15-8

57,024

58,164

59,327

M+15-9

59,028

60,208

61,413

M+15-10

61,029

62,250

63,495

M+15-11

63,030

64,291

65,577

M+15-12

65,874

67,192

68,535

M+30-1

44,300

45,186

46,090

M+30-2

46,302

47,228

48,173

M+30-3

48,298

49,264

50,249

M+30-4

50,310

51,316

52,342

M+30-5

52,308

53,354

54,421

M+30-6

54,275

55,361

56,468

M+30-7

56,316

57,443

58,591

M+30-8

58,326

59,492

60,682

M+30-9

60,326

61,532

62,763

M+30-10

62,326

63,572

64,844

M+30-11

64,326

65,613

66,925

M+30-12

67,170

68,513

69,884

CAGS/MM-1

45,592

46,504

47,434

CAGS/MM-2

47,596

48,548

49,519

CAGS/MM-3

49,602

50,594

51,606

CAGS/MM-4

51,606

52,638

53,691

CAGS/MM-5

53,602

54,674

55,767

CAGS/MM-6

55,608

56,720

57,854

CAGS/MM-7

57,614

58,767

59,942

CAGS/MM-8

59,617

60,810

62,026

CAGS/MM-9

61,622

62,854

64,111

CAGS/MM-10

63,620

64,892

66,190

CAGS/MM-11

65,622

66,934

68,273

CAGS/MM-12

68,466

69,835

71,232

EdD/PhD-1

46,887

47,824

48,781

EdD/PhD-2

48,893

49,871

50,868

EdD/PhD-3

51,019

52,040

53,080

EdD/PhD-4

52,899

53,957

55,037

EdD/PhD-5

54,901

55,999

57,119

EdD/PhD-6

56,905

58,043

59,204

EdD/PhD-7

58,907

60,085

61,287

EdD/PhD-8

60,915

62,134

63,376

EdD/PhD-9

62,919

64,177

65,461

EdD/PhD-10

64,916

66,214

67,538

EdD/PhD-11

66,919

68,257

69,622

EdD/PhD-12

69,761

71,156

72,579

APPENDIX B

ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION - SUPERVISORY

POSITION

STIPEND

Student Council HS

$750.00

Student Council MS

$475.00

Activity Manager JBMS

$875.00

Memory Book JBMS

$ 1,250.00

Director of Intramurals  JBMS

$720.00

Class Advisor  Grade 9

$600.00

Class Advisor  Grade 10

$800.00

Class Advisor  Grade 11

$ 1,200.00

Class Advisor  Grade 12

$1,400.00

Natures Classroom Trip Planner

$400.00

Natures Classroom Trip Chaperone (12)

$250.00

BHS Biology Club Advisor

$400.00

BHS Chess Club Advisor

$400.00

BHS Computer Club Advisor

$400.00

BHS Games Club Advisor

$400.00

BHS GSA Advisor

$400.00

BHS Information Society Club Advisor

$400.00

BHS Ski Club Advisor

$250.00

BHS Young Liberals Club Advisor

$400.00

BHS Young Republicans Club Advisor

$400.00

As School Match Wits Advisor

$400.00

Humanities Advisor

$1,000.00

LEAF Advisor

$400.00

Math Team Advisor

$600.00

Model Congress Advisor

$600.00

National Art Honor Society Advisor

$400.00

Peer Tutoring Advisor

$400.00

Students Against Drunk Driving Advisor

$425.00

Powder Puff Game Coordinator

$400.00

Project Runway Coordinator

$400.00

POSITION

STIPEND

Yearbook Advisor  HS

$ 2,200.00

NEASCYear
before Visit

$ 2,000.00

Year of Visit

$ 1,500.00

Year After Visit

$ 1,000.00

Drama Advisor Applies
to all

$750.00

Choral Director  CHCS

$750.00

Choral Director  JBMS

$ 750.00

Choral Director  HS

$1,500.00

Band Director  BHS

$6,200.00

Band Director - Elementary
and Middle

$1,600.00

Student Accounts Manager

$925.00

Faculty Accounts Manager

$1,450.00

Budget Preparer (Phys Ed., If not chair or coordinator)

$250.00

Library Coordinator

$600.00

Department Chairs: (8)

$2,550.00

K-8 Lead Teacher (15)

$2,550.00

Head Teacher @ Cold Spring School

$2,800.00

Cafeteria Supervision - HS (8)

$1,100.00

Saturday Suspension (approx. 28 Saturdays x 3 hours)

$2,520.00

After School Club Advisors Proposal - All Clubs approved by BHS
School Council/pro-rated if they do not start at the beginning of the school
year.